


Fit To Be Tied

by amaronith



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Based On Episode c2e62, M/M, WidoFjord Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 03:29:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19265011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amaronith/pseuds/amaronith
Summary: After their conversation, Fjord thinks about what he originally thought about Caleb, and what he thinks about Caleb now, and starts a second conversation.





	Fit To Be Tied

**Author's Note:**

> Based off The Conversation in c2e62, for Widofjord Week 2019, Day 3: Canon Quote/Blood Pact

"We bound ourselves together, you and I."

That's what Caleb had said. Before saying they were friends, before saying he cared, before agreeing to let Fjord speak on his own terms.

Bound.

Fjord laid in bed as he stared at his cut palm. With Uk'atoa threatening his magic, and Fjord still being unsure how exactly he was going to _fix that_ without actually releasing an evil demi-god into the world, what the hell good was being bound to _Fjord_ gonna do Caleb?

Caleb, who wanted to end a war with as little death as possible; Caleb, who was terrified of something in his past, something to do with what the Cerberus Assembly had done to him; Caleb, who said he _cared_ , and hell if Fjord didn't owe him an apology for thinking otherwise for the longest time.

Fjord sat upright, closing his hand and pressing it to his chest before he slid out of bed and into the hall, making a beeline for Caleb's room because if he didn't speak now, his own guilt would eat him alive.

He knocked on Caleb's door before he could talk himself out of it, everything in him screaming to just let the matter drop except for that space in the center of his chest, where his feelings for Caleb lived and flourished with every little thing the wizard did, another hopeless crush on someone who - Fjord had assumed - didn't really care for him back.

"Come in!"

Fjord eased the door open, slipping inside and closing it behind him softly. "I… it's just me, Caleb."

Caleb looked up from his book, surprised. "Is everything all right?"

_Look at that, you're disturbing him with this idiocy,_ a voice in his head hissed, the one that always managed to sound like Sabien. _Leave the man alone._

"I… I owe you an apology. I didn't make it before, but I need to. Because I've done you a grave disservice, and I'd be a much poorer friend if I didn't come clean and fix it."

Caleb frowned. "I… _ja_ , okay. Come sit."

Fjord felt like he was strapped to a wooden board, stiff and awkward as he made his way to sit next to Caleb on his bed. He held out his scarred hand to Caleb, who took it without hesitation. "I'm sorry I doubted you. I'm sorry I… I'm sorry I didn't believe you to think of me, of any of us, as anything more than people you were travelling with, if not just people you needed favors from."

Caleb shook his head with a rueful smile. "Fjord. I have not been the best with expressing my feelings, there was no way for you to know when they changed. I can tell you, if you like?"

"I don't know if I wanna know… it might just make me feel like more of an asshole."

"It was when the Iron Shepards took you and Jester and Yasha that my attitude about the group changed. I could not quite admit it to myself, not really, but that was it."

Fjord found himself absently stroking the back of Caleb's hand with his thumb. "That's… an awful long time to make it seem like things were just transactional between us, Cay."

"Ah, I never said it made sense, Fjord. I am still getting used to having people who care for me, and caring for other people besides myself. I am still… learning, I guess is the best word for it."

Fjord knew his smile was probably too warm, too fond, but he couldn't stop himself. "We'll make it work."

Caleb smiled back, small, but soft and fond and _there_ , and Fjord wanted to curse his heart for being more the fool. "Another call back."

"Yeah," He wasn't even sure how long they were sitting there, just holding hands and smiling at each other, but when Fjord leaned in, Caleb had as well.

He pressed a soft kiss to Caleb's mouth, just a gentle press that was met with equal softness. "Oh…"

"That… was on purpose, _ja_? That is-"

Fjord kissed him again, unwilling to let go of Caleb's hand as he brought his other hand up to cup Caleb's jaw. "Yeah. Yeah it's on purpose."

Caleb leaned in, resting his forehead against Fjord's. "Are you sure you want to do this? We just had a… harrowing, if minor, conversation. I do not wish to take advantage."

Fjord chuckled. "I've wanted to kiss you for a while, now. Before the thing with the Iron Shepherds, even. So… it's all good, here."

Caleb kissed him again, soft and slow. "Mm. That is an awful long time to want to kiss a fellow and then not do it, Fjord."

"Would you have wanted to if I said something before now?"

Caleb kissed his cheek. "Yes. In a heartbeat yes. Would it have been more than just sex? Probably not at first, no."

_Oh…_

"I have a lot of time to make up for, then, huh?"

Caleb kissed him softly again. "Maybe… just kissing for now? I do not want to be something you regret."

Fjord pressed forward with a hum. "That's fine - I still get to kiss you, so I win either way."

Caleb laughed as he kissed Fjord back, and that was the last thing they talked about for a while.

\---

They kissed until their lips were almost numb with it, though there were brief breaks in between for Fjord and Caleb to take a breath and try to get their bodies back under control. Even after they stopped kissing, Fjord hadn't wanted to leave, more than content to stay next to Caleb and just breathe in the wizard's scent. "Do you want me to go?"

"Not if you want to stay, Fjord."

"Just to sleep."

Caleb watched him, blue eyes worried. "Are you worried?"

"Hm?"

"Never mind." Caleb kissed his temple as Fjord snuggled closer, closing his eyes. "Do you mind if I read more?"

"Not at all, darlin'," Fjord murmured, resisting the urge to suck a hickey onto Caleb's throat.

Caleb was quiet for a long moment before Fjord heard the flutter of pages, and Caleb's voice a soft drone as he began to read aloud from his book.

Fjord fell asleep not long after that.

\--

If Fjord dreamed that night, he didn't remember it, and instead woke up to his face half buried in a pillow that smelled delightfully like Caleb, and a warm weight pressed to his back. "Mmm?"

"Mm. _Guten Morgen_ , Fjord."

"Is it morning?"

"It is seven in the morning."

Fjord rolled over and smiled. "Hey Caleb?"

Caleb smiled back, soft and sleepy. "Yes, Fjord?"

"I still haven't changed my mind about you."

Caleb blinked at him before blushing and hiding his face in Fjord's throat. "I haven't, either. So we are doing this, then? A-a romance?"

"I'd like that." Fjord sighed happily, nuzzling Caleb's temple. "What do we tell the others?"

"The truth. We are romantically involved, and it is still new."

"They are gonna be the literal fucking worst, you realize that, right?"

Caleb rested a hand against Fjord's cheek. "I can think of several things worse than our friends who care about us taking the piss, _Liebling._ "

"That's a new one…"

Caleb hid his face. "...it means 'favorite.'"

Fjord was melting - this man was gonna kill him with sweetness before they had sex, he just knew it. "That's so sweet, Cay…"

"Yes. Well. I might be a bit of a closet romantic."

"I'm into it." Fjord snuggled in closer, leaning in to kiss Caleb when Caleb's bedroom door was practically kicked open and Beau walked in.

"CALEB, GET YOUR ASS UP AND- oh, hey Fjord." Beau looked between the two of them. "Am I interrupting?"

The look Caleb gave Beau reminded Fjord very strongly of Frumpkin, after he had been tossed down the well. "What does it look like, Beauregard?"

Beau's smirk grew on her face. "It looks like you were about to start fucking. When did that start being a thing?"

Fjord flushed, dragging Caleb closer. "It's new, Beau, so if you could-"

"Excellent! Oh- by the way, Cad says breakfast is ready so come eat." With that, Beau left Caleb's room, shouting "Y'all fucks owe me some money!" at the top of her lungs as she walked out.

Caleb looked at Fjord. "Well. The cat's out of the bag now."

They stared at each other for a moment, grins creeping across their faces before they collapsed against each other, laughing.


End file.
